Baraka Trek - About

I grew up in Cape Town. Many a- time my father would take us to the beach after school, building sand castles on the shore, with the backdrop of Table Mountain in view. This was ordinary, this was normal. I was blind to the gorgeousness that surrounded me. It was only when I travelled to the Middle East, and later moved to the USA, did I come to truly appreciate the extraordinary and dazzling beauty of Cape Town. Interestingly, by having to complete Arabic assignments about my roots, and having to respond to curious questions from foreigners about my home country, the lens through which I perceived my home town began to broaden. It was no more ordinary to me, but rather quite extraordinary. Not only am I a prouder Cape Townian, but feel more connected to our fascinating history, and also to the spiritual family all around the world.

Now, more than ever, I love the sound of the squawking seagulls and crashing waves, the not-so-hijab friendly wind, the sound of the adhan from the 300 masajid around the Cape, the intonation of the unique Cape Town accent, the guttural sound of Afrikaans, the ubiquitous gatherings of dhikr, the sing-songey style of the Eid takibirat, the way Cape Townians shake hands and kiss each other after a congregational prayer, and the warmth and hospitality of the Cape Townian Muslim community. These are but a few of the special aspects of this region.

There is a wealth of barakah in the Cape. From the time when slaves were shipped here to the Cape of Storms, Islam was destined to take its roots via the elite of the enslaved. Fast forward centuries, the circles of knowledge have continued to flourish, and the name of God is continuously heard. Now a spiritual, cultural and intellectual hub, it is a must-see for the traveller who not only seeks leisure and beauty, but also seeks meaning and profundity.

barakah : \ bəˈräkə \

blessing from God

trek: ˈtrɛk

a leg or stage of a journey. (South African Dutch)

Cape Town - South Africa’s oldest city and home to the majestic Table Mountain and Cape Point.

First named the "Cape of Storms” and later renamed the "Cape of Good Hope," the Cape Colony was established by the Dutch as a way station for ships travelling to the East Indies.

Muslims of the East Indies were brought to South Africa with the first European colonists, between 1652 and 1693, either as a labour force, a defence force, political prisoners, or exiles. Thus, Islam was introduced into South Africa via the Dutch colonisation of the Cape in the seventeenth century. Many of these enslaved people are ancestors of modern-day Cape Coloured and Cape Malay communities.

Power transitioned to British rule, and later back to Dutch rule, under whom the brutal apartheid regime was enforced. Many fought in the resistance, Nelson Mandela being among them. Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment on Robben Island, now a UNESCO world heritage site. Post-apartheid, Cape Town is a unique city of culture, art, wildlife, wealth, and poverty. 8% of Cape Town is Muslim, Islam being the city's second-largest religion. Throughout the city, one can find numerous mosques and burial grounds of saints. Auwal Masjid, South Africa's first mosque, was constructed in 1794 during the first British occupation of the Cape. The first imam of the mosque, Tuan Guru, was a religious leader from Indonesia who was sent to the Cape as a political prisoner. While in prison, he wrote the entire Quran from memory. This Quran is on display at the Auwal Mosque.

Cape Town has a warm Mediterranean climate and one of the highest levels of biodiversity of any equivalent area in the world. These protected areas are a world heritage site, and an estimated 2,200 species of plants are confined to Table Mountain.

"Have they not travelled through the Earth, so that they should have hearts with which to understand or ears with which to hear?" -The Qur'an, Surah Hajj, verse 46